Elephant Trails

Elephant Trails at the Smithsonian's National Zoo is one of the landmark exhibits in the National Zoological Park — a multi-acre habitat designed for the zoo's Asian elephant herd that provides space for natural behaviors including bathing, digging, foraging, and social interaction.

For families, seeing elephants at this exhibit is fundamentally different from photographs or video. The size of Asian elephants — adult females weigh 6,000-8,000 pounds, adult males considerably more — registers differently when you're standing 30 feet away watching one move through water. Children who've seen elephants in countless children's books have their mental image recalibrated in a way that lasts.

The training demonstrations, which the National Zoo schedules on a regular basis, are a highlight. Zoo staff work with the elephants using positive reinforcement techniques, and the demonstrations explain the behaviors being trained (foot care, medical examination cooperation) while giving visitors a window into how zoos manage these intelligent animals. The demonstrations are educational in the best way — specific, behavioral, and built around actual science rather than performance.

Elephant Trails' location near the Connecticut Ave entrance makes it one of the first major exhibits families encounter after entering the zoo. Many families who arrive at opening (8AM) head straight here before crowds build.

Free, as with all National Zoo exhibits. The zoo is a Smithsonian institution with a founding commitment to public access. Check nationalzoo.si.edu before your visit for timed entry requirements and daily demonstration schedules.